Skin and Bones
by cute.sadistic.chibi
Summary: No one ever forgets love, no matter how hard they to try push it away. Everything happens for a reason. Underneath the skin and bones, lies two beating hearts. "Sakura..." "Gaara, for you I'd bleed myself"
1. Chapter 1: Love like Winter

**I've got creative juice in me I need to squeeze out. Another project I am working on with Blackout (check it out, it's frakkin awesome). Not going to be long. Inspiration, Coldplay's Yellow.**

**Enjoy.**

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Your skin,  
Oh yeah your skin and bones,  
Turn into something beautiful,  
You know, you know I love you so,  
You know I love you so.

**~ o O o~**

"What the hell is your problem!" A silver haired woman, around her early twenties, screamed at a man across the room.

"My problem? I don't have any, besides you screaming at me."

"Oh, you're so funny Ruki I almost forgot to laugh." She brushed past him and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I can't take it anymore, I just can't. If you aren't going to put any effort into this relationship, then neither am I. I love you, I really do. But I'm not going to put myself through this any longer." She opened the door and closed it behind her.

He sat at the table, alone once again. This was the third time she walked out on him, but she always came back. But tonight, he feared she may never return. And it was his entire fault, she was right; he didn't put any effort into their love. Every day, she would surprise him with something new, be it dinner or a night out, he never said anything or thanked her once. He'd see her force back the tears, but didn't try to comfort her. He was a heartless being, but couldn't stand being apart from his mate. Something was wrong with him.

His bottle of vodka was empty, just like his body. Winter never felt so cold.

"Damn it all."

* * *

Sakura took the needle out of the boy's arm and smiled at him as she wiped the spot with antibiotics, before putting a band aid on it.

"There you go Hachi, and since you've been such a good boy, I'm going to give you this lollipop."

"Yes!"

The boy enthusiastically grabbed the green pop from her hands and ran back to his mother.

"Mine-san, I won't charge you for the flu shots, I know that you're in a bit of a financial rut right now."

"Thank you so much doctor Haruno, I was so worried my poor son wouldn't be able to receive any medical help. This winter is so terrible, if he had gotten the flu..."

Sakura put a hand on her shoulder, "No problem at all. Just make sure he stays indoors and wear warm cloths all the time."

"Thank you again."

She watched the pair leave and returned to her office, completely work out. For twelve hours straight, she'd been up in arms trying to get to as many patients as possible. Everyone was at the hospital for the same reason; flu shots. Not only was it Konoha's worst winter in over fifty years, but a rumored virus has been said to be spreading around the young children.

Thankfully no one had caught the flu yet, but everyone, mainly parents, had been pouring in for the past week. Her ears were still ringing from all the crying, some kids were terrific and took the shots in stride, while some…put Ino's screaming to shame.

She checked her watch, it was ten minutes to midnight and the hospital was still packed. She inwardly groaned and left her office, heading towards the front desk.

"Hey Midori,"

"Hey Doctor, you've got a full house."

"Damn it, why do they always come see me?"

"Because you're the best."

"I know, but I'm still tired."

"Maybe I can get Tora to fill in for you at one."

"Could you please!" She grabbed the nurse's shoulders and shook, "Because that would make me so, so happy!"

"I-can-try-but-can-you-please-stop-shaking-me?"

"Sorry." She let her go and forced a smile as she turned around and greeted yet another parent with their screaming child in their arms, "Flu shot? Right this way."

* * *

Shizen ran through the blistering winds and freezing cold in one direction. She didn't know where she was going, but all she wanted to do was run. Away from the pain, away from the heartache, and away from him. Because if she stayed any longer in the village, she'd be running back to him like she always did. Was it wrong to admit she was hopelessly in love with him? The man who never smiled, the man who didn't care, the emotionless bastard that didn't give a shit about their relationship.

Her heart broke every time he looked away from her, tears would threaten to fall down her face, but she always held it back. Forcing herself to be strong and try again and again. But not matter how many times she told him she loved him, or kissed him, or slept with him. He would do nothing and walk away, like she didn't matter.

The winter night numbed her heart and soul until she was an emotionless wreck, just like him. She didn't want to feel anything, she just wanted to toss away all of her emotions and keep running.

_I hate how much I love you._

She didn't know where she was going, her legs were taking her away, far away and at an abnormal speed. Her nose was becoming dry, despite the weather. Snow fell from the sky like rain, smothering her in a blanket of white. The storm was getting worse and she was far from home, from anything warm. If she didn't find shelter quick, death would be waiting just around the corner.

_Where the hell am I going?_

Suddenly, she ran into something and fell back.

"What was that?"

It was a man's voice, deep and powerful. He bent over and looked at her with curious eyes. Shouting over the roaring wind, he called one of his men over.

"What is?"

"Take a look at this."

"What in the world is it doing out here?"

"I don't know, but we should it get inside before it freezes to death."

"Careful, it might bite you."

"Don't worry," The man lifted Shizen up, cradling her like she was only a baby, "I think she's all worn out."

* * *

Ruki couldn't stand the emptiness, even though he enjoyed it immensely. But if she was there running for him, there was no point in being alone. On top of that, he didn't have any more liquor to drown himself in. But it was snowing like mad outside, the wind howled angrily, and the temperature dropped below freezing, if that was possible.

He growled and looked outside, a few people braved the cold and rushed inside, and making last minute stops before running home. Normally, he would be hibernating or sleeping until the sun started working again. He hated winter and anything related to water except alcohol. But there was no one else to get him his drink, if Shizen was here she would do it in a heartbeat.

"This is my punishment; I actually have to do something for once."

He changed into his winter coat and left his house, complaining on his way to the convenient store.

* * *

"Thank you so much Midori!" Sakura waved at the nurse and left the building in a hurry.

She wanted to get home as quickly as possible; the thin coat she was stupid enough to bring wasn't even close to keeping her warm. It was basically like wearing air, and that was no good. Her apartment was eight blocks away, to her utter annoyance. Of all nights for there to be a storm, it had to be on her busiest and longest day at work.

"Stupid storm, stupid cold, stupid coat, stupid me."

She had to squint her eyes in order to see anything, limiting her view to only tiny slits. Everywhere she turned, a pile of white fluff flew into her face. Her nose turned bright red and so were her ears.

"Hey mommy it's Rudolph!"

"Come in boy," The mother slammed the door.

"Ha. Ha, wait till you get your shots kid, wait till you get your shots."

Her legs pushed through the pain and raging winds, carrying her past the convenient store, which was the half way point. She stopped inside to pick up some hot chocolate mix and pet food, purposely idling inside to get out of the storm and hesitated to go back outside. The store was nice and warm, but she knew she had to get back home; otherwise her cat would starve to death.

As she was leaving, a low moan and growl caught her attention. A shiver, not from the cold, ran up her spine. It was a sickly sound, like someone was dying or in great, unbearable pain. The sound was coming from around the corner, where the back entrance for the store was. Even though it was foolish of her, she went around the corner and gaped at what she saw. A pile of glass surrounded a dog, she assumed, and a rather large shard was sticking of its thigh. She looked up and saw that one of the windows was broken; the animal must have tried to get in but failed, probably trying to get out of the cold. Droplets of blood sprinkled on the snow as a puddle of the crimson liquid formed under its thigh.

Being the kind hearted person that she was, she couldn't leave a suffering animal to die in the cold. But she didn't know what to do, animals were not her forte. However, given the circumstances, she carefully made her way to the dog and knelt beside it.

It growled at her, aware that it was not alone now.

"Shh, it's alright. I'm not going to hurt you."

She gently eased her hands toward it, hoping it would recognize her as friendly. Amazingly, it did and allowed her to touch him. Her eyes fell to its leg, examining the wound and trying to calculate how deep it was. Already she could tell it was nothing she could fix out here, pulling the glass shard out would only injure the animal more.

With no other choice, she had to bring it home. There laid the problem, how was she going to carry this giant dog-thing home with her? It looked heavier than her. She didn't want to drag it all the way back, that would be unethical, and there was no one around to help her. She bravely tried scooping the animal in her arms, and lifting it up. Not only did it look heavy, but it weighed a toe. It was like carrying an adult, but thankfully her training paid off so she mildly struggled carrying the animal home.

She made it back to her apartment in record time, desperate to get out of the cold. Her arm felt like it was going to snap in half, cradling the dog in one arm and trying to find her keys. She successfully got the door open and slammed it shut with her foot. Gently, she set the dog down on her kitchen floor and ran into the bathroom, grabbing as much of her medical supplies as possible, and bringing it back to the kitchen. The dog was heaving at this point, so she had to act quickly.

Now she was in professional mode all over again, she cleaned her hands thoroughly and started the procedure. She applied antibiotics around the room before grabbing her medical tools and attempted to take the glass out. The dog growled in pain as it felt the shard leaving its leg.

"I know it hurts, but be strong."

A little while later, she pulled it out and gaped. The glass was several inches long and dug deep into his flesh, possibly tearing vital veins and tissue.

"Don't worry, I'll everything I can to help you."

She wasn't sure if the dog understood her, but it looked at her for a second before closing its eyes and dropped its head to the floor. This was going to be quite difficult, she'd never worked on an animal before, and even when training on her surgical lessons they were always on donated bodies. But she was the best doctor in all of Konoha besides her former master, and would do anything to save a life. Whether it be human or not.

_What kind of dog are you?_

As she was working, her thought couldn't help running wild. The fur was unusual, though it had normal black like every other dog; a single gold stripe ran from the top of its head to the tip of its long tail. The ears had white tips and it's were a musky grey, giving it a lazy look. It was male, that was plainly obvious, but there was no collar or indication that it belonged to anyone.

Was this the result of some sick science experiment?

She was nearly finished stitching and wrapping the wound up when suddenly, the dog let out an ear splitting howl. She fell back and covered her ears and eyes. Even the howl didn't seem normal, it sounded like it came from a monster, a terrible beast that was suffering. Finally it stopped and started crawling towards the door.

"Whoa, come back!"

She ran blocked its way, earning her a snarl. It bared its pearly white canines at her; its grey eyes became much darker.

"I only want to help; you are in no condition to leave."

"_Shizen._"

Her eyes bulged out of their sockets, and looked at the dog incredulously. It almost sounded like it said something, like a name. But that was impossible, animals don't speak. She must have been imagining it since the beast was growling at her and she was very tired.

She stood her ground and waited for it to come at her; but instead, it gave up and slowly closed its mouth. Putting its head down the floor.

"Now are we going to be a good doggie?"

It threw its paw down, possibly meaning that it was willing to cooperate.

"Okay, let's get back to your leg."

**~o O o~**

_For you I'd bleed myself dry,  
For you I'd bleed myself dry._

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Birthed from Crack and Sugar. Shit happens. I promise the next chapter will be less confusing, if this was any confusing.

**Ciao**


	2. Chapter 2: The Naked Truth

**Check out Blackout (Sakura & Itachi), my other short project if you also like this.**

**Enjoy.**

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Your skin,  
Oh yeah your skin and bones,  
Turn into something beautiful,  
You know, you know I love you so,  
You know I love you so.

**~ o O o ~**

A small ray of sunshine peeked through the curtains blocking her window and landed on her eyelids. She grumbled to herself before pulling the blanket over her head. Five hours of sleep; that was what she got for working at the hospital too long and helping a stranded animal in the middle of a snow storm. There were bags under her eyes and her hair was much disheveled. She cracked open an eye and checked the time.

8:30 am.

"You've got to be kidding me." She growled.

Mornings were not her thing, especially after a fourteen hour shift at work. She just wanted to close her eyes and drift off to dreamland and just stay there for the whole day. But unfortunately, being the only doctor with any high level of skills, she had a thing called 'Work' or as she like to call it 'Hell.'

Suddenly, she heard moaning and moving coming from her living room. Instantly she sprang up and already on high alert. She grabbed the kunai hidden under pillow and slowly got out of bed and walked towards her door. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard more moving and something breaking. A low growl sent shivers down her spine and she remembered the dog.

It was still here to her surprise, from the way it struggled last night she was sure it would have run off by now. Her heart was still pounding though, something about the way the dog moaned and moved was unusual.

"Are you okay doggie?"

Something broke and she prayed to Kami it wasn't her prized China. She gripped the door handle, ready to pound the living day lights out of the animal and walked into the living room.

"Oh…My…God…" She let out an ear shattering scream and dropped the kunai.

Lying before her, sprawled out in all of his glory was a beautiful naked man. He covered his ears and shut his eyes. She fell backwards and bumped into the wall; hanging pictures well down and landed on her head. Her eyes were bulging, staring at the nudist. She was frozen in shock; her heart was pounding ready to beat out of her chest.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Before you say anything-"

She screamed again until he covered her mouth with his hand, kneeling right in front of her. Naked.

"-don't scream."

Naked.

Naked.

Naked.

It was all she could think when her eyes fell on his bare form. It wasn't as if she had never seen a naked man before, she worked in the hospital, but she couldn't get over the fact that this gorgeous naked man was right in front of her, naked and letting everything all hang loose.

"Will you please just listen to me?"

It took her a while to register what he was saying; her eyes and mind were too busy looking elsewhere. She looked into his eyes and nodded. He eyed her carefully before dropping his hand.

"_Who the hell are you?_" She tried to make her voice sound intimidating, but it came out too weak.

"My name is Ruki."

"_What the hell are you doing in my house…and naked?!"_

"You rescued me remember?"

"No I didn't!"

He stretched out his leg for her; she closed her eyes in fear of looking at something else, "Look."

She opened her eyes and looked down, the stitches, the bandage, and the wound mark. She did all that, everything was hers and the scar, the same spot on the dog. Her mouth fell as she grabbed his though, incredulous. She leaned in close and examined the leg, it was healing quickly, faster than any human, but she could tell it was still damaged.

He coughed to grab her attention; that was when she realized she was straddling a naked stranger and her face was dangerously close to his _no-no_ zone. She quickly let go and stood up, running to the other side of the room.

"N-no, you can't be that...I mean the dog…you're naked….that's not possible…"

"I think you need to calm down.

"I'm not going to calm down!" Her voice boomed, shaking the iceless outside, "You can't be the dog! People can't turn into animals!"

"_People_ can't, but we can."

"We? You mean there are more of you?"

"Yes."

"What are you?"

"A changeling, we are the spirits of nature."

Sakura would have started laughing if he didn't have such a serious face. She looked into his eyes, hoping that he was lying, that he was just another perverted guy trying to sleep with her. But the tone in his voice and his stern grey eyes were telling the truth. She took a seat on her couch and threw a blanket at him.

"Um, can you please cover yourself?"

"You act as if you've never seen a naked body."

"Just cover yourself please! Have you no decency?"

He rolled his eyes and wrapped the blanket around his waist, covering all the good that's made him a man (sort of). He limped over to Sakura and sat the end, giving her space to cool down. She just woke up from a five hour sleep to a very, very cold morning. This was not what she needed.

"How are you feeling?"

"Shocked, sick, and…freezing my ass off."

"Would you like the blanket back?"

"No thanks!"

"I want to thank you, Sakura, for taking me in and tending to my wounds."

"I-it's no problem. What were you doing anyways?"

Ruki looked down and dropped his head, "My mate left me again, but didn't return. I was feeling depressed so I wanted to get a drink. I don't carry money and I'm used to stealing things. When I left my living corridors, I tried to break into the store. But he wind knocked me over and I feel into the window."

"So…you turned into that dog thing so you can steal some alcohol?"

"Yes."

Sakura stifled a giggle and shook her head, "If you can turn into that dog, why are you a human?"

"We were forced to, our kind is dying and the only way to survive is to turn into a human."

"What's happening?"

"We are bound to our mates, body and soul. If one of us dies, so will the other. Animals spirits are being hunted down more and more every day. In order to survive, we must look like your kind."

Great, on top of being extremely tired and still a little shaken, she was feeling guilty for something she didn't even do. She looked at Ruki, his eyes softened and filled with sadness.

"Where did your mate go?"

"I don't know; somewhere far. I can't feel her presence."

Sakura got up and rushed past Ruki into the kitchen, "Let me get this straight, you aren't human. You're a spirit that turned into a human so you and your 'mate' can survive. She left you; you got depressed, so you changed into a dog and tried to steal from a shop in the middle of a storm."

"Yes."

She forced laugh and slapped herself, "I'm going insane."

This had to be a bad dream, a terrible dream she couldn't wake up from. Or it was a very cruel prank Naruto and the guys were pulling on her and any second, he'd pop through the door and yell 'Gotcha Sakura!' She waited, but no one came through the door. She hit herself again and she felt the pain. This was real, it was real life. The naked man who was a dog only hours ago was real and staring at her oddly.

"Are you alright?"

"No I am not alright! I'm going crazy! Please tell me this isn't real!"

"It's not in my nature to lie."

"What am I going to do?!"

"I don't see what the problem is; it's not as if I'm doing anything wrong."

"You expect me to believe that a dog can transform into a human, and that you are a spirit of nature?"

"Yes."

"Hell no I won't! This is all just a very mean joke my friends are pulling on me," Sakura ran to the front door and opened it, "Alright guys you can come out now, I know you're all laughing at me but the jig is up!"

Ruki closed the door and spun her around, grabbing onto her shoulders. Suddenly, she became very scared. His piercing grey eyes looked just like the dog from last night, the same intensity and the same fierceness. He lifted his hand and brought close to her face.

"W-what are you doing?"

"Proving to you that I am not lying."

The black markings on his hand started to glow red, his nails grew and black fur sprouted from the top of his hand, spreading all over his arm. It began to look like a paw.

"Do you believe me now?"

She nodded, stunned at what she was seeing. Her heart was pounding so loud she was sure he could hear. He let her go and went back to sit down. Her legs were immobile; she stood there with a blank face.

"I'm sorry for being so harsh, but I need you to know who and what I am."

"Its fine, I'm used to people acting like that."

"You are?"

"Someone I used to know spoke and acted just like you, minus the whole changing into a dog thing."

"Is it this person?" Ruki picked up a picture and showed it to her.

"Where did you get that!" She snatched it from his hand and brought it to her chest.

"It fell out of the picture I accidentally broke."

She looked at the picture and was instantly filled with grief. She hadn't smiled like that in ages; she forgot how happy she was back then, how happy she was when she was with him. The only true person she was ever in love with. The only person besides Sasuke to have hurt her so much.

"Please don't ever touch this picture again."

"I apologize, I did not know."

"Ruki…" He looked up at her, "Why did your mate leave you?"

He closed his eyes and gripped his knee, "Because of me."

"What did you do?"

"I ignored her."

"Yeah, that would hurt a girl wouldn't it?"

* * *

"Hey look you guys!" Kankuro called his friends over, "I think she's getting up."

_Whoa, too loud. Someone needs a breath mint._

"I thought she wasn't going to last the night." Another man walked up to him.

"Nah, something as big as she should be able to keep through the winter."

_Did you just call me fat? Oh hell no._

"What should we do with her then? I don't think anyone would want something like this in their house. My wife would flip if I brought this home."

"We can't just leave her in the middle of winter, its freezing and she'll starve to death."

"Hey Erik, why don't you take her?"

"Pfft, yeah right. I've got two kids; they make up for ten of these things at home. No thanks." He slapped Kankuro's back, "Guess you're stuck with her."

"What, I don't even know how to take care of a dog!"

_Oh shit._

"You've got a sister don't you?"

"That was low, even for me," Kankuro sighed and looked down at the silver haired dog and grimaced, "I guess there's no other choice."

_Dear Kami let get out of this alive._

He tried to pick up the dog, but she growled at him and bared her menacing canines. Her piercing blue eyes glared at Kankuro, ready to bite the hand that touches her.

"Easy girl."

"Look, another female he's afraid to touch."

"Hey, shut the hell up. You try carrying her," He smiled weakly at the dog and tried once again, extending his shaking hand, "I'm not gonna hurt you girl, I just want to take you home and make you better."

"If you can say those things to a _real _girl, I'm sure you'll get laid."

"One more time Erik, one more time and you won't have to worry about having any more kids."

His pals laughed at his misfortune and walked away, leaving him to deal with the silver beast alone. Her growl was deep and strong, it didn't sound like a normal dog. Her gums were slightly blue and her nose was dry, she was getting sick and if he couldn't get her home for proper care; she might die. She'd been in the cold for too long and everyone, especially him, was afraid she wouldn't make it. It was a good thing they went on scouting patrol or else he'd never have run into her.

"Come on, don't be so stubborn."

But the dog kept the act up, the hair on her fur and tail began to rise.

"You're just like my sister, unbelievable. Two Temaris in one house, Kami have mercy."

_Aw, fuck it. I'm too tired._

She finally put her head down on the table, though keeping a watchful eye on him. He kept his hands up and walked over to her side and gently brought down on hand. He stroked her back until he knew she was okay with him touching her. She was calm and quiet, except for the occasional grunts.

"I'm gonna take you home now, so don't put up a fit."

_Whatever tubby just get moving._

He scooped her up and hurried home.

* * *

"What the hell is this!" Temari screamed.

"A dog."

"I know that you idiot, but what the hell do you think you're doing bringing it home?!"

"She was lost in the storm; I couldn't just leave her out there to die."

"Then take it to the animal shelter!"

"Are you crazy, do you know what they do to animals like her?"

Temari threw her arms up, "When Gaara finds out about this; he's going to kill you."

"Why? It's not like he's ever around. He's the Kazekage, we never see him and he'll never see her."

Temari looked at the dog with a hard glare; she wasn't much of a dog person. They were too loud and too much trouble, just like her brothers. She preferred cats, since they were mature and smart, just like her. But this thing was huge, bigger than an average dog and scarier looking too. It gave her the creeps, like it was going to tear her face off any second.

"It's not staying with me."

"'It' happens to be a girl."

"Well then _she_ can stay with you, you need the female company anyways." She laughed and walked away.

"Ha. Ha! Everyone's a comedian."

The dog whined his arms; she wasn't exactly in the most comfortable position.

"Let's get you warmed up, then we can look for some food."

_I want soup._

**~o O o~**

_Look at the stars,  
Look how they shine for you,  
And all the things that you do._

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****Ciao.**

**(Ruki from The GazettE? Yes, why? Because I didn't know who to put in there, I'm too lazy to make someone up, and my friend suggested it.)**


	3. Chapter 3: Sweet Scent

**R&R Thanks :]**

**Enjoy.**

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Your skin,  
Oh yeah your skin and bones,  
Turn into something beautiful,  
You know, you know I love you so,  
You know I love you so.

**~ o O o ~**

Gaara was tired; more than tired actually, he was exhausted. For two days straight all he had been doing was listening to old men jabber about boring subjects and paperwork.

Bloody paperwork.

His fingers had at least five paper cuts on all ten digits. And all he had to do was put his damn name on it. If it wasn't for the fact that home was just as boring, he wouldn't have lasted another day in the office. But he put up a front and forced his attention to whatever topic any of the councilmen brought up. Being Kazekage wasn't the easiest job in the world, nor was it the most exciting. The rare occasion that something exciting popped up, he'd pounce on it in a heartbeat.

But since the most exciting thing that happened to him was several months ago, he was stuck in one chair, in one room, listening to the same people every single day.

His hand gripped the fine leathery chair he was sitting on and watched the ticking hand on his clock. It was mocking, he just knew it, the more he watched the slower it got. As if it were telling him that was going to be stuck there forever. He wanted to chuck the thing at the wall and silence the ticking ounce and for all. But, being the _mature_ person that he was, he bit his tongue and refocused his attention.

"I think that's all for today, well gentlemen I think we've made some great progress and I can't wait until we discuss this again tomorrow."

Stupid happy man, he wanted to choke him badly.

Being the most important man in the entire village, he was always the first person in the office and the last to leave. As he stood in the middle of the doorway, bowing and saying his goodbyes, he couldn't help but feel a disturbance in the air; like something evil had invaded the village. His senses were on high alert and he wanted to get to the bottom of this.

"Kazekage-sama, is something wrong?" A councilman asked.

He'd been staring off into space for the past five minutes, "No, I was just thinking of something. Goodnight, Matsumoto-sama."

After the last of the men left, he quickly finished last minute work and quickly left the office, ordering the secretaries to clean up his mess, and dashed home. The evil aura in the air was heading in that direction, and he had a feeling Kankuro was somehow a part of it.

_What did that idiot do this time?_

* * *

"Temari!" Kankuro ran down the hallways of his house franticly, searching every room he passed for the missing canine.

"What is it now?" She got up from her desk and left the study room, only to bump right into him, "Watch it!"

"Have you seen the dog?"

"Yeah, you showed it to me earlier, remember?"

"That's not what I meant…I kind of lost her."

Temari stared blankly at him for a second, "What?"

"I lost-ow!"

She raised her throbbing fist in the air, "Only an idiot looses a dog in his own house, oh wait, look whom I'm talking too!"

"I left her in my room, went to grab us some food, and when I came back she was gone."

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed, "Alright I'll help you look for it, but we better hurry because I think Gaara's coming home soon, and you know how he feels about animals in the house."

"Hypocrite."

She slapped him across the face and dragged him down the hall. Meanwhile, at the other end of the house, a white dog limped across the halls. She looked behind her to see the two sand siblings walking in the opposite directions and grinned. She had to hand it to the human girl; her temper was as frightening as the winter storm. But she was done dealing with humans and just wanted to escape, even if it meant running through the frigid cold again.

_Now how do I get out of here?_

Her nose led her into an unknown part of the house that was kept dark. The stench in the air was heavy with sand, something that was buried deep underneath the piles of snow. But there was another smell, something soft and feminine. It didn't belong with the stench of masculinity; there was something sweet and subtle about it. Her curiosity grew even more and she dared to venture into the dark area. At the end of the row, there stood a single wooden door. She grabbed the door handle by the mouth, pulled down until it opened, and walked in.

The smell was more prominent in the room and the sent led her to a large dresser drawer all the way in the back. She stopped there and stood on her hind legs so she could find what was giving off the scent.

To her surprise, it was a single black glove sitting beside a framed picture.

_She's beautiful._

"Gaara, you're home early!" Temari said.

Judging by her tone of voice, she was nervous and Shizen took notice. But she couldn't tear her eyes away from the picture of the smell, it was intoxicating.

"Wait, don't go upstairs!"

"Why?"

"Um…tell him Kankuro."

"I…was cleaning up…and spilt some smelly chemicals all over the place, so it's really toxic upstairs."

Gaara only gave him an odd look before brushing him aside and walking up the stairs. Temari gave Kankuro and angry look and hit him on the head, informing him at the same time that he might as well dig himself a grave.

Shizen didn't even notice or hear the footsteps stopping right outside the room, nor paid any attention when said figure walked up behind her. Before she knew it, a hand gripped the nap of her neck and pulled her away from the delicious smelling glove and out the door.

"Temari, Kankuro. I need to see you two immediately."

They both reluctantly walked up the stairs and bit their lips simultaneously.

"Explain."

"It was all Kankuro's fault, I told him not to bring the dog home but he wouldn't listen."

He rolled his eyes, looked up at his brother, and said in a somewhat stern, yet fear toned voice,"Gaara, it's freezing out there. The dog was caught in the middle of the blizzard last night, it would be wrong of me to leave her to die there. So being the kind person that I am, I decided to bring her home when no one else wanted to. It'll only be until we find her owner."

"And if it doesn't have an owner?"

"…Can we keep her?"

"No." He flung the dog at Kankuro and went into his room, slamming it behind him.

_Wait! I want that sweet smell! _

"Gaara's right, we don't have any room or time, we're really busy right now. Just take her to the shelter after the weather calms down." Temari patted him on the shoulder and walked away.

He looked down to the dog, who was giving him huge puppy eyes, and sighed. It had only been a day but he was already attached to her. There was something about the white fur and hazel eyes that got to him. He really didn't' want to give her up, but considering the fact that he was extremely busy and it took too much time to care for a dog; he had no other choice but to agree with Temari.

"I'm sorry girl, but Temari's right. After the weather dies down we'll have to give you up."

_You're going to abandon me after all we've been through! _

She whined and jumped on him, but he only patted her head and set her down. He opened his door and gently pushed her in before closing it. Alone once again, just like always. With nothing else to do, she lay down on the floor, and closed her eyes.

-----

_A dog gave off that evil aura?_

He didn't understand, he came home expecting to see destruction or an enemy shinobi invasion somewhere, but all he saw was some dumb dog inside his room. Of all places and animal to be in, his very own, private room. And touching his personal things with its disgusting wet nose, now everything will smell like dog.

His eyes shifted to the thing the dog was sniffing, trying not to think of it at all. But the more he tried to push it away, the harder it pushed back. He wanted to just throw away everything, cast aside all his thoughts, and move on with his life. Surely by now, she had moved on. More than likely, she found someone else, someone who knew how to appreciate good things when they had them.

He got up and walked over to the picture, taking it in his hands. Those were happier times, when there war was a thing of the past and worries didn't exist. But nowadays, things were different. Suna and Konoha were constantly on highlight from threatening attacks from other villages, and on top of everything, an epidemic had broken out and spreading like wildfire. More problems to add to his headache. His past problems would have to be put on hold.

* * *

"By any chance, did any of the councilmen bring up the flu spreading around?" Temari asked.

All three were sitting around a small coffee table, drinking something warm for the night. The wind started to pick up again, but it wasn't as bad as the other night.

"Not that much, we will be discussing that tomorrow."

"Good, because unbelievably, it's actually starting to show up in Suna. I know it's a live in Konoha, but I didn't think it'd reach here that fast."

"Do we have any of the necessary vaccines?"

She shook her head, "I don't think so, and we've never dealt with something like this before. None of our medics are trained in this field."

Gaara set down his cup and rested his chin on his folded hands.

"Might I bring up a suggestion?" Kankuro asked.

"What?"

"Why don't you ask the Hokage to send someone from their village? They do have the best medic team and the medicine that we need."

Temari's eyes lifted, "For once you didn't say anything useless."

"Gee, thanks."

"Well what do you say Gaara?"

"With a three day's journey and the weather being unpredictable, it would be too risky. I do not wish to put any more lives in danger, I'm afraid we can't go with that option."

"What are we supposed to do then?"

Suddenly, a large rumble came from upstairs. They stopped what they were doing and looked up, a monstrous howl bellowed throughout the house and out through the open window. The lights shook before dying down. Gaara glared at Kankuro who immediately got up and ran for the stairs.

He flung open his bedroom door and gaped. His room was a complete mess, trashed beyond recognition. His bed sheets and curtains were torn into shreds, broken glass lay scattered everywhere, and everything else was either smashed up or chewed out. Drool dripped from the ceiling like raindrops, landing on his head.

"Aw…man…"

"What's going on up there?" Temari called up to him.

"Uh…I'm sleeping downstairs tonight."

-----

Shizen had had enough, her patience was running dry and she needed to get out. Animalistic urges drove her mad, she wanted to kill, destroy something that would bleed before her piercing eyes. She hid the other end of the hallway across from Gaara's room, hiding underneath a decorative table. She'd be caught if she tried to make a run for it now, not when all the humans were downstairs. Her only chance to escape would be out a window…in their two story house…hopefully landing in a pile of soft and fluffy snow.

But the longer she stayed, the more that smell consumed her again. She closed her eyes and tried to figure out what it was, a mixture of Freesia, Plum, and Casaba Melon. It was seducing her again, calling her to enter the red head's room.

_Ah, what the hell._

She got out of her hiding place and walked over to Gaara's door, opened it, and walked in. Once again, the smell of sand and female pheromones greeted her nose. She was lost in a haze of pure ecstasy, whoever this girl was; she smelt like heaven.

_It's a shame she's not here, I would love to have her rub my belly._

Her hind legs pushed her up, so now her upper body was on top of the drawer. Hazel eyes landed on pastel green, even if it was a picture, she could easily see different shades of green mixed in her eyes. If all of this was coming from just a single glove, she imagined what it would be like to meet the woman in person. The hairs on her back stood up from just the thought.

"What happened to your room!"

"I'm not really sure."

"Look what the dog did! Well, glad I'm not cleaning that up. You want a mop and broom?"

"Funny, real funny. I have to go look for her now. You know, she might have decided to destroy your room too." Kankuro snickered.

"Not in this life time."

Their footsteps disappeared down the halls.

_Want. Girl. Now. Need. Her_

Her insides were turning inside out and she would feel something warm spreading through her body. She felt ready to burst into flames and shoot up into the sky. All her senses were going crazy, her mind went into overdrive, and her paws were turning into fingers.

_Uh oh._

Before she knew it, all the white fur on her body melted away into air and human limbs began taking over dog parts. The tail disappeared in a popping noise, but white ears didn't. They stayed on top of her had as pale, human skin covered her body. A couple seconds later, she was a naked human girl, standing on her knees with dog ears on her head.

_This can't be good._

As she slowly stood up, she felt a presence behind her, a strong and dangerous aura. Her ears perked up and she turned around. Hazel met Jade; it looked like a Mexican standoff in a spaghetti western film. His hands balled into a fist that stayed at his side, but tensed up when he saw her lift her hands.

"Um…Hi."

**~o O o~**

_For you I'd bleed myself dry,  
For you I'd bleed myself dry._

**

* * *

**

I got the idea of using my favorite perfume, Pure Seduction from Victoria's Secret, to use as the 'scent.' Freesia, Plum, and Casaba Melon combines is a very, very wonderful smell.

**Ciao.**


	4. Chapter 4: Introduce the Changeling

**R&R thanks :]**

**Enjoy.**

_

* * *

_

Your skin,  
Oh yeah your skin and bones,  
Turn into something beautiful,  
You know, you know I love you so,  
You know I love you so.

**~ o O o~**

He didn't know what to say or what to think. Here was a naked woman, with strange dog ears sticking out of her head, standing in the middle of his bedroom. If this was another attempt by his obsessive fans to seduce him again, he'd have to establish a curfew for everyone to stay indoors at this hour.

"Um…hi."

His eyes narrowed, giving him a menacing look. His blood was boiling; he didn't want to yell at the idiot girl so he let out a ragged sigh instead. He closed his eyes, thankfully not seeing any of her _private_ areas. There was only one woman in his life he'd seen naked and he didn't want to tarnish the image.

"I know what you're thinking, but this isn't what it looks like."

"Get out." He said through clenched teeth.

"I can't exactly go if I'm naked, and plus it's very cold."

Gaara moved swiftly to his bed, grabbed a red towel, and threw it at her. He heard the swishing sound of the towel; she cleared her throat after wrapping it around her. Though he still refused to look.

"Now will you please leave?"

"Who's this girl?"

A jealous type, not that it would surprise him. Most of the females in the village were very competitive for his affections, especially after they found out about his recent singleness. But it wouldn't faze him, he'd been through his a hundred times before and would go through it another hundred times just to make them leave him alone.

"None of your business."

"Her glove smells very good, I enjoy her scent."

He opened one eye open and looked at her smiling face. He couldn't quiet put a finger on it, but he was sure he'd seen her somewhere. Though it's not like he meets white haired, hazel eyed women before.

"What did you say?"

"I said, I enjoy her scent."

His eyes were fully open now and glaring at the woman, but she didn't seem to notice or care for that matter. Even when he growled at her to leave, she stood there looking as happy as day.

"Who are you and what are you doing in here?"

"How rude of me, I didn't introduce myself yet. My name is Shizen, and I was trying to escape. But the intoxicating smell of this girl's glove pulled me in here. I apologize for my actions."

Was this woman for real?

"You can smell the glove?" He gave her an incredulous look.

"Yes, even though it is very faint. A dog's sense of smell is very good."

He was about to say thing, but stopped. His ears must be stuffed or the wind must be blowing a little too hard, because he thought he just heard her say 'A dog's sense of smell.'

"A dog?"

"Yep, we smell a hundred times better than any human on the planet; except for the shinobis in contract with dogs or with that specific jutsu."

Either this girl was completely insane or desperately trying to gain his attention. It seemed a bit of both, he just wanted her to leave already.

"I know this must come as shock, but I can prove to you that I was that white dog earlier," She took a step towards him and stopped when she some his muscles tense, "Just look will you?"

She moved her hair around and displayed the back of her neck for him to see. There was a purple and yellow bruise on her skin, and red crescent marks underneath it.

"You gripped my neck a bit too hard when you threw me at your brother, but it's nothing I can't heal from," She moved her hair back and looked at him, "And I kind of destroyed your brother's room in a fit of boredom, hope he's not mad about that."

Temari must have put something in his coffee, a sleeping pill probably. He had been awake for four days straight working, and spent two days in his office. Maybe he was over worked and delusional, this could all have been one bad dream that he seriously wanted to wake up from.

"You don't believe me?"

"I don't know what to believe, just get out." He pointed at the door and looked away from her.

"Alright," she walked to the door and looked back at him smirking, "But what would your siblings say if they saw a naked woman walking out of your door?"

He hadn't exactly thought about that, the consequences would be severe. Kankuro would call him a player and hypocrite at every corner, he'd never hear the end of it from Temari, and the entire village would eventually find out after she tells everyone. Including her. He glanced at the frame picture, more aggravated than ever. How he ended up in this position was beyond him.

"What do you want, mutt?"

"Hey, don't call me that," she closed the door behind her, "Jerk."

She flicked the light switch on; bright light illuminated the dark room. To her utter surprise; it was completely boring. Nothing stood out beside the bed with black satin sheets, a book shelf filled to the max, and a dresser drawer with a few pictures on the glove on it. Besides those things and a tiny mirror hanging on the wall, there was nothing else.

"Exciting."

"Answer my question."

"Nothing, just an escape. I ran away from my mate to be alone, and unfortunately for both of us; I ended up here."

"So then you aren't a fan girl."

"What the hell is that?"

He shook his head and sat on a chair next to his bed, "If I give you cloths will you leave?"

"Sure." She smiled and took a seat opposite of him.

They looked at each other for a minute, neither one of them moving. The air was thick enough to be cut right down the middle. He just knew there was something strange about this woman.

"Earlier, I felt an evil presence entering my home. Was it you?"

"I'm not evil; I'm just not human. I'm a spirit who pretends to be human because our race is dying. In order to preserve our kind, we change into humans and occasionally shift back to our original forms. But sometimes there are things that trigger us to turn into a human subconsciously; I think it's because of our need for survival."

He still didn't believe her, even though everything she said had some logic to it. He'd heard about her kind, Changelings. But they were from story books and fairy tales, things like that didn't exist. But the look in her eyes didn't give any hints of lies, she kept a stern and steady voice.

"What would a Changeling being doing so far out here?"

"You know what I am."

"Yes."

"Interesting, not many humans do. We were considered myths once, but time has forced the tale to die away and soon we became forgotten, just like everything else in the world. But back to your question, I ran away from my mate. I wanted to be somewhere far away so that there wasn't a chance for me to run back to him."

"I thought Changelings were bound to their mates."

"We are."

"Then why did you leave?"

"Because of what he's done."

He gave a questioning look, "Which was?"

"He didn't care for me."

His eyes went back to the picture again, but this time they stayed there. If there were ever a time he wanted to crawl under a hole and bury him, now would have been the perfect time. He let out a heavy sigh, filled with mixed emotions.

"I've done the same."

* * *

"How's your leg?" Sakura handed Ruki a cup of cocoa and sat across from him. She gave him men's shirt and pants (Naruto left them at her house) to wear since being naked all day would not be a good idea.

"Still hurting."

"I cleaned up some of the stitches and re-did the bandaging. I think it'll fully heal in about a week or two." She took a sip of her drink.

"I hate being human, it takes forever to heal one little cut."

"You're welcome."

"Sorry, I'm just frustrated."

"It's okay, I've been _human _my entire life, so I guess I can understand your situation." She glanced up at her clock, it was already 11 PM.

Time flies by when you spend the whole day talking to a spirit. He was a very complicated subject, reclusive, callous, and prideful. But he also had a soft side, a loving soul that wanted nothing but the simplicities in life without all the commotion of human activities. He reminded her so much of _him_, it was almost like talking to the same person, but with blonde hair and grey eyes.

"Sakura,"

She looked up at him, "Yeah?"

"You haven't told me anything about you yet."

"Well, it's not like there's anything special about me. What would you like to know?"

"Why did you choose to become a medic nin?"

"Oh, that's an easy one; because I like to help people. I have a soft heart so when I tend to people's wounds and make them feel better, it makes me feel better too. I want to save people, because I know that when they wake up they'll always have someone waiting them."

"You're a kind human being."

"I know," She let out a sigh, "It's one of my biggest downfalls."

"Why is that?"

"Because I can get hurt very easily."

"Has someone hurt you?"

"Countless times, especially the people I love. Take Sasuke; even after I confessed my love for him, he still left. That was the first time I've ever had a broken heart. The second time was with this…er…guy that I also loved, more than Sasuke in fact. But just like him, he broke my heart, my second one."

"It seems you have no luck in that department."

"You can say that again, but it was for the best. We both agreed to it, even though it hurt a lot."

"Why did it end?"

She traced the rim of the cup with her delicate fingers, "We were both so busy, he's the Kazekage and I'm the head medic behind Tsunade. Conflicting schedules and we live in two different villages."

Ruki looked out the window, resting his chin on his hand, "Humans are difficult creatures to understand."

"Beg your pardon?"

"You crave love and affection, yet when minor complications emerge you forget about everything else and concentrate solely on that problem inside of trying to fix it. You go for the last resort and end everything when there was nothing wrong to begin with. You think with your emotions, not with your mind."

She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly shut it. No one had ever said it to her that way before, nor had she thought it like that. It wasn't as if she wanted to end everything, there was just no other way around it. Yes, she had been the one to bring it up first, but it was because she was thinking logically. She only wanted what was best for both of them.

"But then again, who am I to say anything?"

"No…you're right, I didn't think about it enough when I said it. I just wanted it to be quick so that I didn't feel the pain afterwards."

"And yet you still did."

"Yep…"

He noticed her sadden face and opted not to continue with the subject, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"You're short for your age."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. What about you? I forgot to ask about your age."

"Three hundred and forty eight, but just twenty-seven in human years."

"Ah, well…you look pretty young for your age."

"I can see you're becoming tired, it's late now. You should go to bed."

"Yeah, I have work tomorrow morning. Um, I guess you can stay here until you can walk again, if that's alright with you, unless you want to return to your place."

He thought back to the cheap hotel he had to stay in and the annoying manager who constantly flirted with Shizen. He'd rather be buried in snow than go through all that again.

"Staying here until my leg gets better would be nice."

Sakura smiled and turned around, heading for her room.

"I have one more question."

"What is it?"

"That man in the picture with you, is he Sasuke or the other one you were talking about?"

"The other one." Surprisingly, it took a lot for her to say it.

He nodded and bid her a good night.

-----

She gently closed the door behind her and took out the picture she hid inside her blouse. It was slightly ripped on the side and a little crinkled. But it didn't the fact that it was one of her most precious and treasured memories. Every time she looked at the picture, her heart fluttered before descending to the ground. She missed those times when things were easy and nothing was complicated.

But the more successful you become at your job, the less pleasure you have in life. This was something she had to learn the hard way.

**~o O o~**

_Look at the stars,  
Look how they shine for you,  
And all the things that you do._

**

* * *

**

I based the story off some themes from Romeo and Juliet. Shizen (Whom I based off of Jolin Tsai and Ayumi Hamasaki) being the Capulet's and Ruki being the Montague's, 'cept they aren't like the actual families. And I had Sakura be Romeo and Gaara be Juliet. :] You'll understand if you keep reading.

**Ciao.**


	5. Chapter 5: Mission

**Check out The Firefly Lounge while you're at it.**

**Enjoy.**

_

* * *

_

Your skin,  
Oh yeah your skin and bones,  
Turn into something beautiful,  
You know, you know I love you so,  
You know I love you so.

**~ o O o~**

"Doctor Haruno?"

There was a knock at her door, Sakura looked up from her clipboard, "Come in."

Midori stepped in and smiled, "You have a phone call waiting for you downstairs, the person says it's urgent."

She nodded and followed the girl downstairs. More patients were at the hospital today, young children who still needed their flu shots. After that it would be the elderly, and soon the adults. They were running low on vaccines and it was a major concern, the winter storm may have died down but that didn't mean the season did. The temperature only kept dropping and the rumored virus was spreading like wild fire. So far, only one child had contracted it and was resting in the emergency medical room.

Their options were running low, a cure needed to be found or else Konoha would be put under quarantine. Most of the pressure was put on her, being the head medical doctor, it was her duty to solve this problem before it's too late.

Sakura picked up the phone, "This is Doctor Haruno speaking."

"Sakura? It's Shizune, we're having an emergency meeting here in the Hokage's tower, come as quickly as you can."

"I'm on it." She slammed the phone down and bolted out the door.

A mere two seconds later, she rushed back into the hospital completely covered in snow and skin just as pale. Midori slowly held out Sakura's jacket.

"I think you're going to need this."

"Thanks."

This time, instead of rushing into the Konoha freezer of death, she walked at a fast past to the Hokage's tower. Once inside, she thanked every higher being for the invention of heaters. She took her jacket off and ran upstairs, stopping before the door and knocked.

"Come in."

Tsunade sat in her usual seat at the front with Tonton and Shizune at her side. She also noticed a few elders and doctors sitting in seats, waiting for the meeting to commence.

"Shall we get started then? Earlier today, we received a messenger hawk from Suna. It seems the virus pandemic has spread even to the wind country."

Sakura's eye became wide as saucers; she never expected the virus to reach out that far. It only began to showcase itself within the leaf village weeks ago.

"How many infected?" An elder asked.

"Two children and one adult, but it's spreading. Unfortunately for them, they don't have the proper medical care or medicine to counter this outbreak. Their medic nins aren't properly trained in this field, so they need to be taught how to take care of these situations if it were to ever happen again in the future."

"What are you suggesting then?"

Tsunade looked over at Sakura, and knew already what she was going to say.

"We're going to send a team of top medical nins to Suna, lead by our head doctor; Sakura. They'll bring fresh supplies to help the village last through the winter and train Suna's medical nins."

"But Hokage-sama!" A doctor stood up, "Haruno-san is our best doctor! We can't just send her off when the virus is also infecting everyone here."

"Sit down Tanaka; you think I haven't thought this through? While Sakura and her team are in Suna, Shizune and I will take turns treating the patients in the hospital," She turned her hard eyes onto Sakura, "The only thing that's left is when Sakura will be prepared to leave."

"Tomorrow at sunrise, I must pack the required medicine and gather the appropriate team members."

She bowed to her superiors and made for the door, but not before her master had another word in, "Oh and Sakura?"

"Yes?"

"Pack heavy, you're going to be staying there for a _long_ time."

-----

Ruki jolted when the door slammed open and a flustered looking Sakura bolted in, kicking the door shut. She mumbled incoherently, but he did manage to pick up the words 'Hell hole' and 'stupid virus'. He looked up at the clock, not expecting her to be home for another five hours.

"…how was your day?"

"Just great!"

His ears felt like they exploded, he'd never heard someone scream as loud as she did. Not even his mate was this bad when she was angry.

"Did something bad happen?"

She let out a loud 'Ha!', "Bad doesn't even begin to describe it! I have to go all the way to Suna, for lord knows how long, and I have to teach some medic nins how to do their jobs. On top of that, the virus that started here, somehow managed to travel all the way to the wind country. And did I mention it's snowing? A team and I have to travel in the middle of winter all the way to Suna, that's a three day journey."

He nodded his head, "Who is leading?"

"Me."

"So then the pressure is all on you."

"Which makes everything all the more difficult."

"Will you do it?"

"Of course I will, it's my job. I just…don't know what will happen when I get there."

"I will come with you."

She looked up at him, "What? No you can't, you're still injured. You can hardly walk to my kitchen, let alone run for three days."

"I will simply turn into my original form and follow you to Suna, it shouldn't be that difficult."

"B-but Ruki, you're leg isn't fully healed! You'll only make it worse if you go-"

He stood up and walked/limped over to her, towering her petite form, "Sakura, you forget that you rescued me. I am now in your debt, I will do anything to payback for your kindness and generosity. Let me company you on this mission so that I may be of some assistance."

Her breathe came out ragged, staring up into his eyes, he really did look like _him_. Dominating, yet cool and composed. Ruki let no emotion cross his face as he looked down at the pink haired medic, who was slightly twitching. He didn't mean to be overpowering, it was just in his nature.

Sakura gulped and smiled nervously.

"I guess if you feel like you can, then…you can come. But please be careful, it's going to be dangerous, not only because of your leg, but there is a possibility that rouge shinobis can attack."

"I'm a dog the size of a bear; I can protect myself and you."

She felt a since of security and warmth when he said it, he really was kind beneath the hard shell. It was a shame though; that his mate couldn't be the one he said these things too.

"I'm going to go pack my things, we leave at sunrise."

He nodded and stepped aside, watching her walk to her room.

"How long are we staying there?"

"Long, probably until winter's over."

"But winter won't be over until next month."

She groaned out loud, "I know!"

-----

Midori ended her shift earlier than expected; it was already 9 o'clock when she checked out of the hospital. As she waved goodbye to her friends and associates, someone bumped into her.

"Doctor Haruno?"

"Hey Midori, your shift ended?"

"Yeah, since you left early everyone's been busy trying to fill in your spot. But no one can do it better than you."

"Aw thanks," She always did like the nurse, "Are you heading home right now?"

"I guess, I was going to stop by the grocery market to pick up a few things."

"I'll come with you."

The two women chatted as they made their way to the market, laughing at daily gossip or scoffing at rumors. It had been a while since the two actually had a chance to talk like real human beings; most of the time when they say each other was inside the hospital.

Midori took the time to admire Sakura, a wonderful individual when she was both a doctor and a normal person. From a distance, one would never have guessed this tiny shinobi was as powerful and smart as the Hokage. People underestimated her, but she'd always prove them wrong without even trying. That was why, whenever she decided to take the doctor's examine, she'll have her favorite one in mind.

"Doctor Haruno, I was wondering,"

"You can call me Sakura." She smiled at the black haired girl.

Her eyes went huge; she had never been so formal with someone as powerful as Sakura before, "Really?"

"Yep, we're not in the hospital. Right now, I'm Sakura and you're Midori. Two friends shopping in the grocery store."

Her heart seemed to flutter, "O-okay, so um, Sakura, I was wondering why you wanted to come with me? I thought you had to be working on something for the Hokage."

Sakura let out a sigh, "I haven't been completely honest with you. This is a selfish thing for me to ask, but you're the only person I trust for this job."

_Ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy_

"I'd do anything you ask of me."

She chuckled, "You see I've been assigned on this very, very important mission that'll take me all the way to Suna for a while."

"What about your work here?"

"I'm afraid I'm needed more in Suna, the virus has been confirmed over there. Three people are already infected and they need serious medical attention. They don't have the medicine or proper knowledge on how to handle cases like this."

"So you're going to be gone for an entire month, how are we going to survive without you?"

"Don't worry; with the way I push and shove everyone around here to do their best, I'm sure all the doctors will be well prepared to be without me for the long."

"But, what part do I have in this?"

"I have to form a team of five of the best medical nins to come with me to Suna, to help train the ones in Suna. And I was hoping you'd be one of the five."

Midori put a carton of milk in her basket, "Hm, I don't know. I've been to Suna before or traveled anywhere for that long, but…if it means I'll be helping you, then of course!"

Sakura smiled and gave her a box of strawberries, "I can always count on you."

* * *

Temari waited in the messenger room, waiting for the hawk she sent out to return before anyone spotted it. She wasn't nervous about being caught, just annoyed, mainly at Gaara. Honestly, he had to be an idiot to not think she didn't notice anything. She may be one of the toughest kunoichi's around, but she had the girlish of intuitions.

There was only one reason why he put the virus issue as the last thing on his agenda. It amazed her how much he was still hung over what happened. It was mutual, both parties agreed to it. And yet, he acted as if it was all one sided. She knew he had attachment issues, but abandonment? It was ridiculous. They couldn't depend on their own medical nins for long, they were idiots who ran around like chickens without heads.

"Sorry Gaara, but the village comes before your relationship problems."

As if on cue, the brown hawk landed swiftly on her arm and squawked. She gave the bird a piece of meat and set it back into its cage.

She would be expecting her visitors in three days tops, which gives her enough time to prepare a speech for Gaara, explaining her actions and how he needed to get over himself.

_Maybe I should leave that part out._

-----

"You have your cloths and supplies." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

He just wanted the silver haired female to leave already. The way she was eyeing Sakura's picture and constantly trying to sneak a sniff of her glove made him slightly uncomfortable. Almost possessive like an animal protecting his mate, he didn't want anyone near his things. Male or female, human or not.

"Are you sure your sister won't miss her clothes?"

"No."

He snuck her past Kankuro, who feel fast asleep on the couch despite how early it was.

"Hey, it's night time already? My time flies by when you spend the entire day hiding in a closet. Are you going to tell your brother you let me loose?"

"He'll figure it out when sooner or later."

Shizen turned to him, "I hope you don't mind me staying in your village for a while, it would be unwise for me to run out in these weather conditions."

He nodded his head and quietly opened the door for her, immediately the cold night air met their faces. But neither felt a twinge or was fazed, they kept their hard stare. Shizen's callous smile was eerie, not at all like the smile he longed for.

"If I may ask you something personal...though you are constantly surrounded by people; is it lonely running a village with no one at your side?"

His eyes finally moved, shifting from hers to the outside, watching the lazy, navy blue clouds graze across the sky. The quarter moon gleamed brightly alongside the stars. It was sad to know that something as bizarre as a Changeling understood how he felt.

"At times, but I am used to the loneliness."

"So am I, in your case it would be normal. In mine however, it would seem unnatural. Changelings are bound to their mates, and yet…I keep running away from him. I don't know, I love him, but I can't stay by his side. Do you think that's strange?"

It was another sad thing to know that she reminded him of _her_.

"I wouldn't know, I'm not a Changeling."

She laughed wickedly.

"I wish you well on your journey in life." She turned to the door and took a step out before stopping, lifting her nose in the air, "Something's a brewing."

"What?"

"Not sure, but it's none of my business."

She walked out the door and into the night, turning a corner and disappearing. Even if he didn't want to admit it, or even think about it; she was entertaining to talk to. She was the complete opposite of him, just like _her_. But there was one huge thing that separated the two; Shizen was cruel and malicious, even if she did possess a gentle heart, but it was probably the cause of her mate's uncaring nature. Sakura was purely affectionate and kindhearted, no matter how brutal the world was. She smiled through the pain.

Her name tasted bitter, even in his thoughts. He didn't want to think about it anymore, because every time her face popped into his mind, it would linger in his head forever.

"Where is Temari?"

* * *

Sakura dragged her tired body back home and kicked the door open, not realizing Ruki was standing right behind it. He flew back and slammed against the kitchen wall.

"Ruki! I'm so sorry!" She ran to him, cradling his head in her arms.

"I heard you coming up the stairs."

"I'm just tired, gathering my team together. I had to beg people, literally on my knees for them to come."

"Was it successful?"

"Yeah, I got my team ready. We're meeting at the front of the gates a little before sunrise."

"That's good."

It was silent after that, the door still open and Sakura holding Ruki's head against her chest.

"Sakura,"

His voice was warm and she felt the rumble in his chest. She missed the feeling of a man's warmth wrapped around her body, and with Ruki so close, he felt even warmer.

"Yes?"

"You can let go now."

"Oh, sorry!" She immediately flung her arms off him and stood up, walking over to close the door. A bright red blush appeared on her face, but only deepened when he heard him chuckle.

"You should go to bed; we have a big day tomorrow."

She nodded and rushed to her room.

"Women."

****

~o O o~

_For you I'd bleed myself dry,  
For you I'd bleed myself dry._

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R&R thanks. I need more pixie sticks.

**Ciao.**


	6. Chapter 6: Half Way There

**La la la, thanks for the reviews. Thanks for reading. Here is another chapter.**

**Enjoy.**

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Your skin,  
Oh yeah your skin and bones,  
Turn into something beautiful,  
You know, you know I love you so,  
You know I love you so.

**~ o O o~**

"Kazekage-sama, if I may so bold to ask; what are you planning on doing with the virus pandemic? Three people have already been infected and we don't have the proper medicine to care for them."

Gaara took out a beige folder holding the patients' profiles and opened it. He scanned the papers with quick eyes, memorizing everything before setting back down. For the past three days, the virus pandemic was the only subject revolving around the table. As much as he wanted to do something, Suna had a dilemma with their resources and medic nins. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and looked up at the council men.

"What are our options?"

"Close to none. We need help sir, fast."

There was only one thing left for him to do, and he didn't like it. In the end, this was his only choice.

"How fast are our messenger hawks?"

"It takes a single day for them, depending on which village they are being sent too and maybe a little more on the weather."

"Send an emergency request…to Konoha."

No one moved surprisingly, they all looked at each other anxiously. Gaara narrowed his eyes and growled.

"What are you waiting for?"

"Well…"

A council man whispered to another, "Someone go get Temari-sama right now."

Said person nodded and excused himself, leaving the room.

"Well what?"

"A messenger hawk has already been sent…two days ago."

The pencil in Gaara's hand snapped in two, causing some of the men to jolt in their seats.

"Two days ago?" He wanted to make sure his ears weren't deceiving him.

"Yes, sir."

"Without my acknowledgement?"

"Sir, we were only thinking about the villagers. We couldn't wait any longer for a decision."

He tossed the remaining half of the pencil away and slightly leaned into the table, "I understand that. But as a council man, it was highly irresponsible of you to act so suddenly without my permission."

His eyes scanned the dropping faces; he wanted to hit them all across the head.

"Did you even think of the conditions the leaf shinobi will have to face on their journey here?"

"Sir, the weather isn't that bad anymore, the storm-"

"At night, the temperature drops twelve degrees. They are on their own if something were to happen."

"But they're leaf shinobi; they should be able to make it through the three day journey."

"They're still human beings."

Just then, Temari burst open the door with a panting a young council man catching up to her.

"Alright, I'll admit it; I sent the messenger hawk."

"Damn it Temari, what were you thinking?"

She motioned with her thumb for everyone to leave. They scattered like mice, quickly making their way out of the room. She shut the door behind her and took a seat across from him.

"I was thinking of the villager's wellbeing of course, unlike you. You're letting your past get in the way of what's best for the village."

He was glaring daggers at his sister, but living with the man in the same house for years helped her ignore this look and scoff it aside. Honestly, the man was being stubborn and childish. Here she was, trying her best to help out and Gaara was furious with her. Sure, she should have told him first, but that would only lead to more arguments and she was tired of those. If it wasn't for the fact that he was the Kazekage and could strangle her with killer sand, she'd hit him across the head.

"Temari, do you how many lives you are putting in danger?"

"I checked the weather, no abnormal activity for a while."

This headstrong sister of his, whenever she set her mind to something she always stuck with it. He didn't have to ask who she sent for; there was only one medic they both trusted with a job this colossal. Maybe he was just letting his past block his view, maybe he was just making excuses. But he was also thinking of other people's lives.

"Do I even need to ask who?"

Temari smiled and shook her head, "Gaara, all things aside, this could really help our village."

He nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "When will they get here?"

"Hopefully by tomorrow, the weather's been pretty good. Minus the occasional temperature dropping, everything seems to be good."

He handed Temari files and a set of scrolls, "Then take these to the hospital when they arrive."

"What are they?" She cradled them in her arms as she got up to leave.

"Medical files, documents on the virus and the patients."

She nodded in return and left, but not before asking, "Kankuro called not too long ago, he wanted to know where the dog was. Says it's not in the house anymore."

Gaara didn't even bother lifting his head, too busy drowning himself in paperwork, "It's not."

"Then where is it?"

"Gone."

She lifted a brow curiously but didn't press the matter and finally left him to his peace. It was silent once Temari left, only the sound of the wind occupied his ears. This wasn't a bad idea, it wasn't. At least that's what he kept saying in his head. Why should he care who they send for? He was the Kazekage, the powerful and emotionally stunted man no one ever crossed. He didn't associate himself with such petty feelings; he had to do what was best. No matter what. Even if he wanted to suffocate some of the councilmen for going behind his back, he'd suck it up and take it like a man.

His head felt ready to explode, he took several deep breaths and calmed himself down.

He looked out the window, the afternoon sun gleaming brightly against the snow covered ground. It looked almost like a winter wonderland, the hills and Cliffside were completely covered in the white powder. Icicles hung low on the roof of buildings, ready to fall at the slightest movement. Children were playing outside, throwing snowballs at one another, laughing and giggling. If he didn't hate the winter so much, he would have found the scenery beautiful.

Just as he turned back to his work, he saw at the corner of his eye the blurred movement of a white dog racing through the cliffs of Suna.

* * *

"Hey Sakura,"

"Yeah?" She turned her head to the blacked haired boy, Aoi, running by her side. He was a couple years younger, but several inches taller.

He'd been juggling in his mind for two days know, unsure if it was impolite to ask her. But he couldn't keep silent anymore, "I know it might seem rude of me to ask, but…what's with the dog?"

She looked behind her at the black canine, eyes stern and kept forward, never wavering. They'd been traveling for hours now, but the dog looked like it didn't need any rest. He didn't make any noise, didn't disturb anyone, and only addressed itself to Sakura. She figured since the dog didn't do anything, no one cared, but apparently the look everyone was giving it, they must have had tons of questions in their heads. She turned back to the boy.

"Um…He's a medical dog; we just got him last week."

"What's he do?"

Her mind quickly searched for an answer, "He can sniff out dangerous diseases inside a human body before it can spread."

His eyes widened, "Wow, that's amazing. It's a good thing you brought him then."

Sakura chuckled nervously and quickly turned her head back, avoiding everyone else's eyes and hoping they would just drop the subject. Unfortunately for her, the nurses and medical nins of Konoha were known to be pretty nosy. The minute they find something interesting that catches their attention, it becomes an endless sea of questions.

"What else can the dog do?"

"Where'd you get it?"

"Are there more?"

"Who does it belong to?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa one question at a time please!" Sakura almost lost her mind. She inwardly groaned; the younger the interns, the more annoying.

Midori jumped up and waved her hand in the air, "Me first! How did you train the dog to perform something of such high level?"

She hated lying, honestly. She didn't like to lie or make things up, especially to people who trusted her. But she couldn't just tell them the dog was actually a spirit who had a 'debt' to pay. They'd all think she was a lunatic and send her straight back home.

"Well…Tsunade helped me…we both came up with the idea, because…of the recent outbreak of the virus, we wanted to catch it in its first stages before it progressed into something worse."

Another female asked, "Where'd you get the dog from? He doesn't look like any I've seen."

"He's…a new breed, not quite sure what."

The female, Mana, glanced behind her at the dog and shivered when his eyes met hers, "He's scares me, I hope he doesn't get out of hand."

"Don't worry, he'd going to be well behaved, am I right Ruki?"

The dog nodded in agreement, but the mischievous glint in his eyes said otherwise.

"Aw, his name's Ruki?" Midori giggled.

Sakura smiled, "Listen up everyone, we're going to be stopping in half an hour for a ten minute break," She looked back, "Think you could go ahead and scout for us again?"

Ruki nodded and ran past them at lightning speed, leaving a trail of sand behind.

"Incredible, glad you brought him along." Aoi said.

Now that she thought about it, she was glad she did too. Though, she had a feeling, even if she told him 'no' he'd still find a way to tag along. Whether he clung himself to her leg or snuck off with her, he seemed like the committed type. Sort of.

-----

"Sakura, how long do you think we'll be staying at Suna?" Mana came to her side and next to her. All of them were gathered around the small fire she built and trying to stay warm. Surprisingly, the longer the day went, the colder it got.

"I'm not quite sure, the weather and the virus are two unpredictable factors we need to analyze. The snow keeps piling up, and chances are there will be another storm. Another is the virus, since Suna doesn't have the medical knowledge of the proper medicine to fight against; we'll have to train and help as much as we can."

The purple haired girl looked down on her engagement ring and sighed, clenching her hand into a fist. It didn't go unnoticed; suddenly Sakura felt a wave of guilt hit her. Remembering how she begged the girl to come, her former pupil. She taught the girl everything she knew about poison control and wouldn't trust anyone else but her with this mission. It was a selfish thing to do, especially when her wedding was less than a month away.

Mana noticed the sad look in her teacher's eyes and laughed it off, "That's alright, as long as I'm helping people the wedding can wait. Plus it'll give me more time to decide the final decorations."

It didn't help much, but Sakura's lips formed into a small smile, "I never really got to properly thank all of you for sacrificing your time and energy for this mission," She looked at the faces of her comrades, "Thank you."

"Ah, it's no problemo doc," A young, cocky boy said with a crooked grin, "You know we're the best and that's why you came to us. We'll show Suna how it's really done."

"You know Benji; I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up dead with your arrogant attitude. Sand nins aren't well known for their patience you know." Midori piped up.

"Whatever, by the end of this mission, you and everyone else will be calling me god."

"More like god awful." Aoi muttered.

Sakura heard the approaching sounds of familiar footsteps and turned around, coming face to face with the black hound. Even if she was familiar with his presence, he was still intimidating. His steel grey eyes boring into her emerald orbs, probably reading her thoughts. It took her a moment to finally speak.

"Are we clear?"

He nodded once and took a seat beside her.

Aoi looked up at his leader, "What time will we get there?"

See checked her watch and took out a map, re-tracing all the marks she left at check points they past, "If we keep moving for another four hours before sun down…I'd say sometime tomorrow morning close to 11 o'clock if we keep the steady pace we're at."

He nodded and leaned back against Midori, "Need warmth."

She laughed through clattering teeth, "Don't look at me."

* * *

"Chou," Temari emerged through the sliding doors of the hospital and up the receptionist desk, she set the files and scrolls down noisily, "Take these for me please. When the team from Konoha arrive tomorrow, give all of these to them."

The girl looked up curiously, cocking an eyebrow, "A team from Konoha?"

"Yep, they're coming tomorrow to train the nurses and doctors, help with our whole virus situation...remember?"

She bit her lower lip, "I didn't know about this."

Temari narrowed her eyes, "What?"

Chou shook her head, "I don't think anyone else either for that matter."

"Didn't Kankuro come in and tell everyone?"

Once again, the brown haired girl shook her head.

The sandy haired woman shook her head, "Mother…I told him to come in and tell everyone about this two days ago! The idiot's been too distracted looking for that stupid dog."

"Two days ago! Oh my god and they're coming tomorrow!" Chou jumped up and grabbed the files and scrolls, pushing past people to get around the table. She ran down the halls screaming, "Everyone, a medical team from Konoha is coming!" before turning and corner and disappearing.

Some people stuck their head out the door and started talking amongst themselves, obviously confused by the whole situation. Temari slapped her forehead, grumbling at herself and the stupidity of the staff. She grabbed the intercom and pressed the speaker button.

"All medical team staff members, there is an emergency meeting at 7 o'clock this evening, be sure to be there or your fired!"

People knew better than to ignore the words of the Wind Mistress unless they wanted a severe beating. They hurriedly went back to doing what they were before, but with more persistence and intensity. Everyone wanted to finish on time to get to the meeting, even a second late could be disastrous.

A young man ran up to Temari's side, trying to catch his breath, "Temari-sama, how many are coming?"

"Five, and each of them are specifically trained in their own unit. They're lead by head Konoha doctor, Haruno Sakura."

His eyes looked as if they were going to pop out, "H-Haruno-sama? She's coming here?"

"Yep, so make sure _everyone_ is prepared to be taught a thing or two…the hell are you waiting for? Go get everything ready!" She smacked him across the head and watched him make a run for it.

-----

As she wrapped her scarf around her neck and stepped outside the hospital, three hours later, a snowball zoomed right past her face and hit an innocent bystander. The laughter of children filled the busy streets of Suna as they made a mad dash before said bystander throttled them. She grinned and walked past the bustling buildings, remembering to stop by the market street to pick up a few things.

Just as she was about to enter the crowded bazaar, she caught a flash of white moving against the shadows of the buildings. Her eyes moved into the dark allies and for a moment, the silhouette of a dog stood behind against the light. She shook it off as her imagination running wild; that was when her eyes locked with sinister hazel orbs.

_What in the world…_

Was it…was it grinning at her?

She couldn't believe what she was seeing, a set of razor sharp fangs winked at her. But before she knew it; the creature was gone.

_This is why I don't like dogs._

**~o O o~**

_Look at the stars,  
Look how they shine for you,  
And all the things that you do._

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Q: Will you do a Sakura / Sasuke pairing, please?

**A: Hellzzzz noezzzz. Tried it, didn't like it. Why? It felt weird. SHE deserves BETTER than him. Though I will admit…on occasion I will read a story about them once in a while. Just don't expect me to write anything. And if I do…then I must be REALLY, REALLY HIGH.**

**R & R Thanks**

**Ciao. **


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